I wanted to give it three and a half stars, because I love this author, but I simply can't. The second part of the book was miserable, suddenly Viola and Marcel stopped talking to each other and started to behave like completely different people. I had this feeling, that the book was too short and the author was trying to make it longer. I liked only the first half of the book. ( )

I won an ARC in a GOODREADS giveaway! #GoodreadsGiveaway ( )

3.5* ( )

The only characters exhibiting any sense in this whole book were Estelle, Bertrand, and Abigail. Not coincidentally, they were also the only characters attempting to understand the hero and heroine. Not even the hero or heroine made much of an effort to understand each other.

Did they have occasionally insightful and meaningful conversations? Yes. (Not that we got to see a lot of them. But we were told they happened, so I suppose they did.) But any time they skirted close to true empathy and understanding, to being vulnerable, the conversation was diverted or ended. Which certainly explains why they spent fully half the book convinced that the other person didn't love them.

I get it. Almost all conflict in romance novels is contrived, but there's an upward limit of my tolerance for people behaving foolishly for the sake of the plot. And it didn't help that almost every single other person in the book also seemed determined to behave foolishly for the sake of the plot.

The rigid policing of Viola's virtue by her family—forcing her into an unwanted engagement—is bad enough. She's a middle-aged woman who's lived in a bigamous marriage for over 20 years: the time to protect her reputation and virtue is long past. And if they were really concerned about Viola's being taken advantage of, why didn't they ask her if she was happy or safe when they stumbled upon her little love nest?

But asking Viola how she feels or what she needs is beyond the capabilities of her family, clearly. Over and over again, they express concern amongst themselves that Viola may not want this engagement, but not one of them asks her. Not. One. Instead they flock to Marcel to make sure he really loves her.

It's almost a relief that Marcel's family is so self-obsessed that they couldn't care less about his sudden engagement. Except for Estelle and Bertrand, anyway, but if it weren't for Estelle and Bertrand, Marcel wouldn't have cancelled the engagement or eventually declared his love—at plot-convenient moments, of course.

In fact, Marcel and Viola are so accustomed to running away from their problems—he into pleasure and distraction, she into the depths of her self (and self-pity)—that I don't really believe they have the tools to handle any difficulties they may encounter in the rest of their lives together. Maybe if Estelle or Bertrand or Abigail are on hand to force them to confront their fear with constructive action, they'll be all right, but I personally hope Estelle, Bertrand, and Abigail get to live their own lives, instead.

What an off-putting and enraging mess of a book. Characterization all over the place—did Viola end up figuring out who she is, as she was so determined to do at the beginning of the book? I don't think so. A love story that hasn't earned its happy ending—where would the hero and heroine be without their pushy children? And pages upon pages of a family who become less and less appealing with every book I read in this series—Viola was right: they smother everyone in love without ever attempting to understand them. I hope that the next book is better...but I'm not holding my breath. ( )

I really think this is a 4 star book, however, I finished it about 10 books ago and I see that I didn't write a comment.

The rather generic title, Someone to Care, did not trigger any memory, so I had to look up the description. Ah ha! I remember this one very well - that is not guaranteed! hence my extra half star!

I love this story of two thirty somethings who have the perspective to try for pleasure and happiness. Of course it helps that he's wealthy and he happens to have a glorious place they can go to and be secluded and waited on! and that she's a widow. These things make it just plausible.

They are both fascinating characters and one needs to know where it is going to go. Viola Kingsley - don't you love it when the heroine is described as a great beauty despite not being 17! meaning, she is a beauty and mature in years! She's even 3(?) years older than the Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr.

I was so drawn in by how closely he observes her. Initially, it's all to do with how he is going to persuade her to his goal. His attention to her is a tool to achieve his designs. But he's so damned good at it, he gives it so much of himself, that it goes beyond manipulation to a different level. His attention to her body, mind and soul is a trade for getting what he wants. And he gets more than he bargained for, as does she.

It's a terrific love story. It drags in the last third as the problems are sorted out towards the HEA. It's incredibly difficult for romance writers to get there stealthily. In the case of this story, I felt it didn't need the high wall of obstacle that is inevitably thrown into the plot mix at the two-thirds milestone. Bringing the two strong-willed, socially straight-jacketed Regency lovers together is a sufficient wall to bring down. Take the love story to some different new place instead...

No, Mary Balogh, does not take up my challenge. But looking back on my scores for her other books, she does give me that extra jus! her stories reach into me, and she is one of the great romance writers. The historical part of the fiction is not the important thing - it's a canvas for some universal truth telling, opening of the human heart - whatever! ( )